Shade-fixture



w. McC. NEALE. v

SHADE F RE.v

APPLICATION FILE Y2], 1920- Patented Aug. .30, 1921.

WITNESSES v mvavmn M W 1116 Male,

A TTORN Ers UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. ILLIAM McCORMICK NEALE, on ennn'nsnono, non'rn oAnoLmA. I

SHADE-FIXTURE.

Application filed May 21,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MoGonMIoK NnALn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Greensboro, in the county of Guilfordand Stateof North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShade-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in shade fixtures, and has for its objectto provide mechanism'in connection with fixtures of the class shown inmy co-pending application, Serial #317,528, filed August 14, 1919, for

permitting the shade to be operated in the usual manner without breakageorinjury, and without interfering with the operation of the mechanismforming the subject matter of the said application.

In the drawings:

Figure '1 is an .end View of the improved shade. 1 V

Fig. '2 is a longitudinal section of one end of the shade roller.

Fig. 3 is a view looking from the inner end of the reel, I

Fig. 4 is a view looking at the outer end of the shade,

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the spring,

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the same,

Fig. 7 is an end View of the hub looking at the inner end,

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the same.

I the embodiment of the invention shown, the shade roller 1 which is ofwood or other material, has one of its ends tapered as shown, and onthis end there is arranged a cap 2 of suitable metal, the cap beingshaped to fit the end. The end of the roller has its corner out off,andthat portion of the cap 2 which fits over this cut-off corner hasopenings 3, the said openings being two in number, arranged on oppositesides of the center of the roller. I

These notches are designed to receive tongues 4 on a reel hub 5, thesaid. tongues extending circumferentially of the hub, and being offsetinwardly from the hub as shown. This reel hub 5 is shaped to fit on thetapering portion of the cap, the large end of the reel hub being inward,and this end has a marginal flange 6. The opposite end of the reel hub,that is, the small end, engages over a hub 7 which hub is of a size tofit the journal pin or trunnion 8 of the shade roller.

Betwee the outer flange 10 of the reel and the hub, there is arranged aspring of the Specification of Letters Patent. Patent ed Aug. .30, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 383,176.

of the cross bent laterally as shown. in Fig.

6, and the convex side of the spring is arranged adjacent tothe reelsmaller end of the hub. The reel hub at theopening for the hub 7 isprovided with diametrically opposite notches 17 which are adapted to beengaged by inwardly extending lugs 18 on the spring, to prevent thespring turning with respect to the reel.

The hub 7 before mentioned, has a marginal flange 11 at the outer .end,which fits the outer face of the brake disk or reel end 10, and it willbe noticed that that portion of the hub which is within the openingofthe brake disk is of-greater diameter than the body of the hub.

The inner end of the hub 7 isupset or swaged outwardly as shown, to lockthe flange, the hub and the reel together, and the taper of the reel hubflange 5 is such that the inner end of the hub 7 is spaced some distanceaway from the plane end of the cap. The journal pin 8 is merelyv a spikewhich is driven into the end of the shade roller, and the shade rollerat the cut away corner and at each openingB is recessed, as shown at12,to permit the free entrance of the tongues 4; of the reel hub. r

The cord 13 which operates the shade roller is passed through an opening14 in the reel hub and is knotted on the inner side of the said hub toprevent disengagement. The engagement between the disk 10 and the reelhub 5 is a. frictional engagement, so that the parts under undue strainmay move with respect to. each other. IV hen the brake disk is inengagement with the brake indicated at 15, and forming a part of theshade supporting bracket 16, and someone pulls down upon the shade tolower the same, there can be no breakage or damage to the parts, for theshade roller and the shade may turn with respect to the brake disk 10.The triotional contact however is sufficient to normally cause the partsto turn together, so that the shade will operate in the manner set forthin my previous application.

Users of shades are so thoroughly educated in the use of the usualspring shade, that they will mechanically grasp the shade in the presentconstruction and attempt to operate it in the same manner as thestandard spring shade. With the construction shown and described in myprior application before mentioned, this would result in clamage andprobably breakage. With the pres out construction however, the shade mayyield with respect to the brake, to prevent any damage.

Normally the disk 10 rotates with the reel, but should the shade itselfbe grasped in an attempt to lower it by force, the disk may remainstationary while the shade is lowered and without injury to the parts.The conical shape of the reel is of advantage, in that it gives theweight of the shade a greater leverage when it is entirely rolled up onthe pole and the cord is off the reel. That is the position of the shadewhen it is most difficult to operate it successfully.

It has been found that shade rollers with rigidly attached reels cannotbe used with the shades are installed, the reel is slipped over the endof the shade roller until the tongues l register with the openings 8.

Then the tongues are in the opening, angular movement of the reel willcause the tongues to engage in the manner shown in Fig. 2, thus lockingthe reel to the shade roller. Since all of the stress on the roller,both when operated by means of the shade and by means of the cord 13,tends to tighten the tongue, there is no danger of accidentaldisplacement. The reels can be easily attached when the shades areinstalled. The sleeve, hub, or eyelet 7 permits the reel to be easilyassembled, the upsetting of the inner end of the eyelet being done by apress as a rule.

I claim:

1. In a shade roller construction, the combination with the roller, ofbrackets for supporting the roller, said roller being mounted to movevertically and forwardly with respect to one of the brackets, a reelmounted to normally rotate with the roller and having at its outer end aflange frictionally connected with the reel to rotate therewith normallyand to slip with respect thereto under undue strain, and brake mechanismin connection with the flange and controlled bythe aforesaid forward andvertical movement of the reel.

2. In shade roller construction, the combination with the roller, of areel having a tapered socket at one side, said roller'having a housingat one end tapering outwardly and fitting within said taperedsocket,said housing provided with spaced openings intermediate its axis andperiphery, said reel having offset tongues intermediate its axis andperiphery for engaging within the openings of the housing for connectingthe reel to the roller when rotated in one direction, and disengagingtherefrom when rotated in the reverse direction.

3. In shade roller construction, the combination with the roller, of areel, and means for detachably connecting said reel to one end of saidroller, said means constraining the roller and reel to turn togetherwhen the reel is turned in one direction, and to disconnect the reel androller when the reel is turned in the reverse direction.

4. In shade roller construction, the combination with the roller, of areel connected to one end thereof, said connection constraining theroller to turn with the reel when the reel is turned in one direction,and releasing the reel when the reel is turned in the oppositedirection, said connection comprising a tapering housing on the end'ofthe roller, said housing having openings, and the reel having inwardlyoffset tongues for engaging within the openin s.

\VILLIAM MGCORMI CK NIEALE.

